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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24036157">Kids of the Future</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLaviniya/pseuds/LadyLaviniya'>LadyLaviniya</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Power Rangers Time Force</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Regression/De-Aging, Attempt at Humor, Childhood, Crack, Domestic Fluff, Eric and Wes are total boyfriends, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Games, Gen, Humor, Jen is a smol ball of Rage™, Lucas is a Little Shit, Snapshots, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trip is a precious Babey™, and Katie’s just here to have a good time, future!me here posting this so the draft doesn’t get deleted, me @ me: it doesn’t have to be Good™️; it just has to Be™️</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:27:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,200</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24036157</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLaviniya/pseuds/LadyLaviniya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“So are you two gonna be playing Mommy and Daddy ‘til we get this fixed?”</p><p>They exchanged glances. Eric smirked.</p><p>“Clearly,” he said, turning back to Katie, “<em>I’m</em> the daddy.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Shoulder the Burden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>In 2018, I made my girlfriend watch the best season of Power Rangers (fight me) because it was on Netflix and I was like YEAH.</p><p>I remember watching Time Force religiously as it aired in 2001. I was six, pink was my favorite color, and Erin Cahill as Jen Scotts was my live-action gay awakening.</p><p>After we finished it, I scoured AO3 and was immediately disappointed there was so little fic for a season so beloved. So one night, I drafted this on my phone and didn’t touch it for like two years. Welp. I’m feelin’ nostalgic again, so here we are.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nadira meets an old friend.<br/>Thank you, Daddy!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is just pure setup. I needed a Reason™. I can’t just plop down into a premise without explaining how we got here because I <em>hate</em> telling it through exposition. Not only do I find that incredibly lazy and awkward, but it breaks the immersion for me.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Nannycon! Come forth!”</p><p>“Ahahahaha!” laughed Nannycon as he appeared from the reanimation chamber. He was a burly creature, doglike, with a large black nose like that of a camera lens. It shuttered as he yawned, arms stretched over his head. “My, what a good nap that was! Now, who’s ready for a little trip to the amusement park?!”</p><p>Ransik chuckled, placing his arm about Nannycon’s shoulder. “I know just the place for you, my nurturing nuisance!”</p><p>A gasp appeared at the doorway, and Nadira came rushing toward them, dropping her vibrant shopping bags so she could throw her arms around Nannycon’s broad shoulders. She giggled as she turned to her father.</p><p>“Daddy, you shouldn’t have!” she cried, rubbing the mutant's chest and leaning her head affectionately against it, “My old sitter! What a lovely surprise!”</p><p>“Nadira?!” Nannycon gasped, pulling back and eyeing her from toe to tip, “Bouncing babies, have you gotten more beautiful since the last time I saw you!”</p><p>She giggled again, spinning around so he could see her from all angles to fully appreciate the depth of her beauty. She even tapped the tip of his nose, gasping in surprise and delight when it shuttered in response to her touch. When she had her fill of fun, Nadira threw herself upon her father, leaning her head on his shoulder.</p><p>“Oh, Daddy, you do know how to make me <em> so </em> happy! Seeing such a familiar face in a time like this!”</p><p>“Anything for you, Nadira.” Ransik patted her on the head and gave her shoulder a firm squeeze. Then, turning to Nannycon, he said, “Take my princess with you, Nannycon. Just like old times, eh? Let my Nadira show you around. And if you happen to come across any...” he pretended to think up the words, “<em>Power</em> <em>Rangers</em>...”</p><p>Nannycon placed his hands on his hips.</p><p>“<em>Destroy</em> <em>them</em> with your brand of kindness.”</p><p>Nannycon rubbed his hands together. “With pleasure!”</p><p>And with another evil cackle, and Nadira taking the lead, Nannycon made his way out of the cryoprison and into the year 2001.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. MuTiny</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wes leaves the Rangers alone for <em>one</em> afternoon and they riot.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jen clenched her fists so tight, they trembled. For once, the view of Silver Hills down below didn’t calm her.</p><p>“I could lift you both at the same time,” Katie was saying behind her, “I bet I could lift <em> all three </em> of you! <em> And </em> Wes!”</p><p>Lucas scoffed.</p><p>“Yeah, right! When you can bench an entire car, then we’ll talk.”</p><p>“Oh, you’re <em> on</em>, Lucas Kendall!”</p><p>Even Trip was distracted. When he wasn’t watching Katie and Lucas bicker, he was tinkering around with Circuit. Or so it seemed. Tickling was probably what Circuit was thinking, judging by his giggles.</p><p>They were all hopeless.</p><p>“Come on, you guys,” Jen began, turning around to face her team, “We need to—”</p><p>With a yell akin to a battle cry, Lucas charged at Katie and tackled her to the floor. Katie’s boisterous laughter mixed with Lucas’ as they wrestled easily drowned out anything else Jen hoped to say. All the more annoying when it was clear Katie could’ve just ended it from the word Go.</p><p>Trip looked up from studying Circuit’s circuits, laughing a little at the show Katie and Lucas gave him. Then, looking over at Jen, he smiled.</p><p>It was probably just to placate her, but she appreciated it all the same.</p><p>At least <em> someone </em> was listening.</p><p>Jen hopped down from the windowsill with a sigh. She marched to the picnic table where Trip was working and stood upon it in her slippers, towering over Katie and Lucas.</p><p>“HEY,” she barked, hands planted firmly on her hips, “Katie, Lucas, knock it off! We need to get serious about this! Ransik is still at large. There’s no telling what kind of trouble he’s causing now that we’re stuck like <em>this</em>—” she pulled at her pigtails, “What we <em>should</em> be doing is coming up with strategy, not wrestling!”</p><p>“But <em> Jeennn</em>!” Katie actually whined, looking up at her. She pushed Lucas off with ease and sat up, legs spread apart. “What do you expect us to do right now? Wes made all of us pinky-swear not to leave the tower. And you know that’s the only reason we still have our Morphers.”</p><p>“I know. <em>But</em>—”</p><p>“A-and you don’t break pinky-swears!” Trip added, “Or else you’ll lose your pinky. Like—that!” He made a chopping motion with his hands.</p><p>Jen sighed as she turned to face him. “You don’t <em> literally </em> lose your pinky, Trip. That’s barbaric.”</p><p>“That’s the twenty-first century...” Lucas mumbled, rubbing the back of his head as he made his way back to the group. “Jen, you better get off the table before Wes comes back. Just because he left <em> you </em> in charge doesn’t mean you have to be such a...”</p><p>“A <em> what</em>, Lucas?” Jen asked, crossing her arms, “Finish that thought. What were you going to say?”</p><p>In two big steps, Lucas made his way atop the table beside her. He was still taller than her, even now.</p><p>“Hey, c’mon you guys!” interjected Trip, hurriedly making his way over to where they were all clustered to grab at Jen and Lucas’ legs, “Let’s not fight, okay?”</p><p>From the corner of her eye, Jen saw Katie pull Trip back by the hood of his orange sweater.</p><p>“A. <em> What</em>. Lucas?” she prompted again.</p><p>“Just because Wes left you in charge doesn’t mean you have to be such a pain in my <em> ass</em>!” Lucas finished, adding with a devilish smirk when Jen gasped, “Katie, catch!”</p><p>And he pushed her off the table, straight into Katie’s—and Trip’s (kind of)—arms.</p><p>“<em>Yes</em>! I’m King of the Clock Tower!!” Lucas cheered, punching the air. “First order of business: for being such a stick in the mud, I decree that Jen gets <em> noogies</em>!”</p><p>Katie gasped. “<em>Yes</em>!”</p><p>Jen’s eyes widened. “No!”</p><p>She tried to worm her way out of Katie’s strong grip, but to no avail. Katie had her in a headlock soon enough, delivering the first round of knuckle grinding upon her head as Lucas jumped off the table and had a go at her too, dodging her kicks and having Katie restrain her punches. From the safety of the table, Trip watched them tussle with Circuit in his lap, mirth twinkling in his eyes.</p><p>“This is—this is <em>mutiny</em>!” Jen managed to choke out between grunts in her attempts to get away and peals of genuine laughter. “Mature people <em>don’t do this</em>! You are all <em> so </em> going to get it when we get back to normal!”</p><p>“Oh, we’ll still give you noogies when we’re all grown up!” Katie laughed, “Won’t we, guys?”</p><p>“Nah,” said Lucas coolly, “We’ll get <em> Wes </em> to give ‘em to her.”</p><p>“You <em> guys</em>!”</p><p>“<em>Genius</em>. Trip, come here! You do it too!”</p><p>“Trip, don’t you dare!”</p><p>But he did. And the four of them went on like that for a while, rolling around on top of each other, an exhausted heap of heat and perspiration and exhilaration and just plain <em> fun</em>. Childhood was a lifetime away, but lying there with Katie and Lucas and Trip, laughing at how ticklish they all were in different places, and just enjoying each other’s company without thinking about <em> work </em> and <em> bills </em> and <em> Ransik</em>... it was nice.</p><p>Gradually, they arranged themselves like a compass, heads at the center, feet pointing in each cardinal direction, and holding each other’s hands for the ordinal ones. Katie was North because she loved looking for the north star, Trip East because he loved watching the sun rise in the mornings, and Lucas was South so Jen could be West.</p><p>After all that excitement, Jen let out a deep, calm breath.</p><p>“If all we can do is wait...” she murmured, closing her eyes, “I <em> suppose </em> I wouldn’t mind growing up here. In this time. It’s only temporary, after all,” she added when Katie squeezed her hand.</p><p>“Yeah,” Katie agreed, “It has nothing to do with Wes at all.”</p><p>Trip chuckled. “Nope. Nothing at all.”</p><p>“Totally,” Circuit chirped.</p><p>Jen squeezed their hands, smirking. “I’m still going to give you all demerits for insubordination. <em>And</em> for assaulting an officer. And tickling is a form of torture, you know.”</p><p>“<em>There</em> she is,” Lucas laughed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Dads Be Like...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wes invites Eric to dinner.</p><p>Very interesting conversation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a rare occasion for Eric to visit the Rangers, yet here he was. Not that his reason for being there was any good.</p><p>“Just one meal,” Wes said. He was practically begging on his knees, not a good look for him in such a public place. “<em>One </em> little dinner. We’ll even let you pick the dish. Trust me, they eat <em> anything</em>. And I’m...” he rubbed the nape of his neck, “Well, I’m kind of running out of ideas.”</p><p>It wasn’t his best excuse, but he tried. And if there was one thing Eric could appreciate, it was effort. Even if it was Wes.</p><p>Especially if it was Wes.</p><p>So he bought fresh baguettes and made his way up the stairs of the old clock tower...</p><p>And immediately felt a headache kicking in once Wes and his stupid apron came over to greet him, flanked by a young boy with bright green hair in a light green tee on his left, and a young girl with curly brown pigtails in a small pink apron on his right.</p><p>“Hey!” Wes said, his arms wide open, “Alright! You actually came!”</p><p>“Hi, Eric!” said the boy with a bright smile.</p><p>“Eric,” nodded the girl.</p><p>Eric nodded back. “Jen. Trip.” He handed Wes the baguettes alongside a skeptical glance. “How long have they been like this?”</p><p>“Way too long...” Jen mumbled, rolling her eyes.</p><p>“Just a bit. It’s supposed to wear off soon.”</p><p>“It should’ve worn off<em> already</em>!” Jen piped up, crossing her arms. There was even something of a pout. She made a different, more disapproving face when Wes chuckled and ruffled her hair, a real stink eye.</p><p>“My theory is—” Wes began, but Trip turned and cupped his hands to his mouth.</p><p>“Lucas, Katie! Come say hi to Eric! Wes invited him to dinner and he actually came!”</p><p>Eric gave a pointed nod, but Wes only chuckled, threw his hands up, and shrugged.</p><p>“Tell you later, I guess!”</p><p>“Eric’s here?” cried Katie somewhere above their heads, “No way!”</p><p>“Way!” Trip continued, “And he brought those really big breadsticks!”</p><p>“Breadsticks?” Lucas cried, “I’m coming!”</p><p>While they waited for the rest of the team to show their faces, Eric caught a mischievous glint in Wes’ eye. The smirk on his face only served to deepen his own scowl.</p><p>“<em>What</em>?” he asked.</p><p>“Hey, Katie!” Wes called, “Come give Eric one of your <em> amazing </em> hugs!”</p><p>Eric looked to Jen for what to expect, only to find Jen cracking a smile, biting her lip as she looked up at him, and then promptly looking away when she caught his gaze. Well, that wasn’t good.</p><p>A flash of yellow rushed down the stairs and made a beeline for him. Before he could say he didn’t do hugs, the tiny titan known as Katie barreled into him, locking her arms around his waist. Were it not for her inhuman grip, he would’ve tumbled back down the stairs. But because of her strength, her small stature, and the fact that she leaned into him so much, he fell <em> forwards </em> instead.</p><p>“I can’t believe you’re actually here!” Katie was saying all the while, “Wes said there was a 95% chance you wouldn’t show up, but here you are, proving him all wrong!”</p><p>“K-Katie...! Let go!” Eric grunted, trying to push her away. When she didn’t even move, he heaved a sigh and then patted her head. “Alright, all <em> right</em>, I’m happy to see you too, now... <em> stop</em>!”</p><p>She released him at once, smiling endearingly. She locked eyes with everyone before settling between Eric and Wes.</p><p>“So are you two gonna be playing Mommy and Daddy ‘til we get this fixed?”</p><p>They exchanged glances. Eric smirked.</p><p>“Clearly,” he said, turning back to Katie, “<em>I’m </em> the daddy.”</p><p>“<em>Ooooooohh</em>,” chorused the Rangers, ending off with a laugh while Wes voiced a feeble protest.</p><p>“Awwwh, don’t feel too bad, Wes,” Lucas said, clapping the small of Wes’ back, “<em>Jen </em> still thinks you’re Daddy material.”</p><p>“<em>Lucas</em>!” Katie screamed, howling with laughter.</p><p>“LUCAS!” Jen yelled, ripping off her apron and giving chase when he took off to the upper level of the floor.</p><p>Wes sighed, shaking his head at the both of them. He glanced at Eric, gesturing with an open palm in Jen and Lucas’ general direction. “This is my life now.”</p><p>“Hmph,” Eric said with an upward nod, “No wonder you called me over.”</p><p>Wes chuckled, and Eric felt a slight tugging at the corner of his lips. And on his arm.</p><p>While Katie was still on the floor, laughter fading to giggles, Trip stood between the both of them, motioning them closer. After exchanging yet another glance, Wes and Eric carefully bent down toward him.</p><p>Trip laughed a little, shifting from foot to foot. “I don’t get it... What’s so funny about what Lucas said?”</p><p>Wes hung his head. “Oh, Trip...” he sighed, shaking his head again, “Trip, Trip, Trip...”</p><p>And with his free arm, he lifted the little boy into a warm hug, one Trip readily accepted, and winked at Eric.</p><p>“Let’s make some dinner.”</p>
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